Women Are Rapping About Their Insecurities to Beyonce's "Ego" And We Are More Than Here For It
"We're all self-conscious, I'm just the first to admit it."
I still remember those famous lyrics from Kanye West early in his career when he released the timeless classic entitled, "All Falls Down". The song poetically takes us through the life of a young Kanye who spends the entire track rapping about his insecurities and how he uses his insecurities to power his self-esteem.
Back in those early days, I didn't fully understand the lyrical content behind the song, but now as a grown black woman who's constantly inundated with images of "perfection", I get it. Man, do I get it.
I wish my butt was bigger.
I wish my hair was longer.
I wish I had more curves.
I wish I was lighter.
I wish I was darker.
Wishes, wishes, wishes, we've all stood in front of the mirror or in front of our girlfriends wishing we could change something about ourselves and, in 2017, a woman who goes by the name of @Oranicuuh on social media is no longer here for it.
Now Internet famous for being the creator of the #EgoChallenge, @Oranicuhh challenged her followers to join in on her challenge of freestyling to beat of Beyonce"s "Ego" when she posted a video captioned, "I wanna start the #egochallenge. We all have flaws and it's better to brag about them to be insecure. Y'all should join in!"
[embed]https://mobile.twitter.com/oranicuhh/status/826189536858370048[/embed]
In the video, she rapped the lyrics:
Yeah I got a gap but I still get y'all to bite
Yeah I'm chubby but I think it helps to keep my pockets tight
I'm dark as night, I'm chocolate talk about an overdose of melanin
What followed her video post was a phenomenal response from black women across social media not only applauding her for being brave enough to rap about her insecurities, but also responding with videos of their own.
As I scrolled through the various videos, I couldn't help but secretly wish I too was brave enough to hop on the mic and kick my own verse. Black girls are magical. When we as black women come together, we have a way of making everybody feel good and the #EgoChallenge is evidence of that.
[Tweet "When black women come together, we have a way of making everybody feel good and the #EgoChallenge is evidence of that."]
Over the last few days, the #EgoChallenge has literally become a liberating movement across the Internet for women to acknowledge and overcome their insecurities through music.
Thanks to social media, reality TV, and, let's face it, sometimes even our own brothers, we as women are often led to believe we're never enough. We fix one flaw only to identify another one and before you know it, we have become obsessed with fixing the amazing qualities God has blessed us with in attempt to please who? Everybody but ourselves.
[Tweet "We're leaving the outrageous idea that we are defined by our insecurities in 2016."]
It's a waste of time and, in some cases, a waste of the coin you could be using to empower yourself and ain't nobody got time for that!
So to every woman who has been told she's too fat, too skinny, too dark, too light, big head, small head, big hips, no hips, and a host of other things....
Girl.
You're still beautiful and if "they" don't see it (who is they anyway?) it's their problem, not yours.
I talk like this because I've seen that WE can back it up!
Check out some of our favorites below:
Here's to embracing our flaws and finding empowerment in our failings!
Have you ever heard of the #EgoChallenge? What would your verse look like? Share them with us in the comments below!
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Crystal Renay Is Prioritizing Healing, Her Kids, And Her Coins Amid Divorce
Crystal Renay is reclaiming her time and her identity after dealing with heartbreak. The model was married to Ne-Yo for seven years and they share three young children together. However, after a cheating scandal that resulted in a baby outside of their relationship, Crystal decided to end her marriage to the “So Sick” singer. Now, she is focusing on her bag and her kids. She is co-owner of Johnny’s Chicken and Waffles, launching a lip kit line, and is back on TV starring in the new WE TV reality series Bold & Bougie.
But it wasn’t an easy road, especially with reality TV. From the beginning, Crystal and her castmates bumped heads due to misconceptions and alliances with her ex-husband’s former partner, Monyetta Shaw. However, the mother of three exclusively tells xoNecole that she doesn’t regret her decision to join the show.
Crystal Renay
Photo courtesy
“Honestly, being in that space, we had a– you know, when you're first getting to know people, sometimes it can be smooth, and sometimes it can be rocky,” she says. “In our case, it was a little bit rocky and just getting to know each other, and I like to call it growing pains. And I felt like we had a couple of moments, but all in all, like the experience was really good for me, and I would do it over again.”
Crystal describes herself as “career-oriented” and says she is in her selfish season because she is now prioritizing herself first. But she admits that she is still healing from her divorce. The reality TV star shares some tips for others who may be going through the same thing.
“I would definitely say pray, pray as much as you can. Try to take your emotions out of your reactions to things because it’s always going to be something that you don't like in the situation,” she says. “But we can't move off of emotion because 10 times out of 10, a few months later, you're not going to feel like that. So, I'm a firm believer in not doing things that I will regret later. So I would just say be patient with yourself and stay positive.”
While there may be an opportunity to find love again, that’s not Crystal’s focus at the moment. She is in the rebuilding phase of her life, emphasizing the importance of self-care, personal growth, and finding her own happiness. She has had her share of challenges, including dealing with negative emotions and the public's perception of her, but her priorities involve spending quality time with her children and running lucrative businesses.
“I would definitely say pray, pray as much as you can. Try to take your emotions out of your reactions to things because it’s always going to be something that you don't like in the situation.”
“With my kids, I'm very hands-on. I’m team mother with soccer kids, and they don't really make no goals because they like five years old, but I'm there cheering them on every week,” she jokes. “I want to travel, especially this summer, with my kids and take them somewhere internationally because they're at the age where they can handle a long flight. So, me just spending more time and more new experiences with my kids is my main focus with them and showing them all the love that I could possibly give them.”
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Photo courtesy of Crystal Renay